Alton Brown and his assistant Tammy Cook demonstrate salt as a structural/flavoring
agent in a salt dough.

of ACF Kentucky Chapter. The True
Spirit Award is presented to a person or
an ACF chapter that has demonstrated
extraordinary efforts to aid children. Little
Oscar—ACF Orange Empire Chefs &
Professional Cooks Association. The Little
Oscar award recognizes a chapter that has
put forth an exceptional effort to advance
the mission of Chef & Child in its fight
against childhood hunger and malnutrition.

as well as a food historian, scientist
and commentator. And, he’s a chef. He
attended culinary school, did stagiaries and
learned, he said, the three components
necessary to make good food and be a
master of food: heat, water and seasoning.

“Seasoning is about salt, so I became
obsessed with sodium chloride—salt,” he
said. “And it’s time for us to understand
salt, the only seasoning our palate is
programmed to taste.”

SALT DEMO
“Chefs scare the hell out of me,” said Alton
Brown, as he opened “A Brief Guide to
Handling the Most Powerful Chemical
Agent Ever Wielded by a Creative
Culinarian: Salt.” Brown’s demonstration,
sponsored by Diamond Crystal® Kosher
Salt, took place July 24. “I’ve been yelled
at so many times by people in double-breasted white jackets, in so many
languages,” he continued, to applause and
laughter from the audience.

Brown, who is best known for “GoodEats,” which enjoyed a 12-year run on theFood Network, is also a prolific author,He demonstrated Beef Tenderloin in SaltCrust, Microwave Salt Roasted Potatoesand Stovetop Salt “Roasted” Shrimp, whilegiving attendees the benefit of his salt—and cooking—wisdom:• We should use hands more in cooking.

• Salt is best used/applied in small
amounts many times during the
cooking process.

• Kosher salt’s larger, uniquely shaped
grains allow cooks to feel the salt
between the fingers, giving greater
control when adding during cooking or
on the plate.

Brown did have words of caution about
molecular gastronomy (it can’t replace knowing
how to cook), and salt. Acknowledging recent
concerns about too much salt in the American
diet, he said, “We need to be careful about
salt, but over-salting doesn’t happen in the